UKC

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=6775

Bouldering is viewed by many as climbing in its purest, most elemental form, the beauty of this being the ease at which you can practice and enjoy climbing without the hassle of excessive gear – be it indoors or out. Additionally, as a discipline that feeds well into sport, trad and other aspects of climbing, it’s a fantastic way to hone your strength and technique and increase your repertoire of movements for transfer onto routes.

They're right, you know.

In reply to UrbanSteve:

What about soloing?

In reply to UrbanSteve:

Bouldering is viewed by many as climbing in its purest, most elemental form and by others as climbing for people who are scared of heights.

In reply to UrbanSteve:

id agree, its not pure at all, its getting to the top of a little rock then down again, free soloing is surely the purest.

In reply to UrbanSteve:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092115/

In reply to UrbanSteve:


Who's the 'many'? Folks who have never heard of soloing?

In reply to UrbanSteve:

I guess it depends what you consider pure climbing. Focusing on technique and the moves could make bouldering the purest form. As a climbing experience Soloing may be purer, no protection, no boulder pads, just you and the rock.

In reply to UrbanSteve:

Depends whether you're after difficulty or danger.

No-one solos to their physical limit.

In reply to andyathome:

Bouldering is soloing, just on little rocks/short walls/grit routes.

In reply to galpinos:
The thing about bouldering is that it misses out the main aspect of climbing. ADVENTURE, Even Gritstone and Sandstone can be adventure but bouldering is like climbing a garden wall.

In reply to Al Evans:

I'm not sure you're completely right Al, bouldering can take you to some rather adventurous places while simultaneously giving you the feeling of discovery that is all but lost with roped climbing in the UK. Look at the bouldering in Northern Ireland, North West Scotland, South West Coast and The North Yorkshire Moors.

In some ways bouldering is the new frontier, similar (in the heart at least) to the frontier you you yourself were once taking on.

If you are linking adevnture solely to risk then we're not really on the same path I feel.

Yours,

a non boulderer

In reply to UrbanSteve:
DWS can be the purest form of climbing. Once you have decided a route is 'safe', you can just climb it as hard as you want - no ropes, no faff, you aren't as limited height-wise as you are when bouldering, you don't have to worry so much about landing (unless it is very high), you don't need to drag mats around...



Free soloing is presumably the most constrained form of climbing (from a certain point of view) as you can't push it.

PS I am unconvinced you can really have adventure anywhere with (most of) less than an hour walk-in, less than a hundred metres of climbing ascent, and at less than 500m altitude (unless next to the sea). I have only been to Stanage once but it is definitely not what I would consider 'adventure'.

In reply to UrbanSteve:

Lab-grade ethanol is booze in it's purest, most elemental form, but that doesn't mean that a lot of people wouldn't prefer a fine single malt!

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Some people like Lambrini - takes all sorts.

In reply to Al Evans:


Y'know, the thing I find a bit weird is people who treat indoor bouldering as the poor cousin of indoor leading. I can understand that many people value the sense of exploration and commitment and unpredictability and seriousness that comes with adventurous trad over outdoor bouldering, and I can understand that many people value the sense of natural challenge and beautiful scenery and exposure to nature that comes with outdoor climbing in general over indoor climbing, but once you've factored out the adventure and the commitment fresh air and the scenery and the oneness with nature and the potential risk and the sense of exploration and the solitude and all that stuff, it seems a bit bizarre to get sniffy about climbing a 4m bit of plywood above a mat rather than a 10m bit of plywood on a rope.

In reply to Stevie989:


I actually really enjoy bouldering indoors and out. I just think you can read a bit too much into "purest form of climbing".

In reply to GuyVG:


And roped climbing or soloing can take you to just those same places. If you are suggesting that those in search of boulders can find them in obscure and nice places then OK. I believe a 'new' piece of rock was recently discovered at Caley (albeit it had actually been climbed on before). If you are suggesting that boulderers have an exclusive link to 'adventure' then you're talking balls. You just have to look at some of the stuff being done being done in NW Scotland.

In reply to UrbanSteve;
Which is the purest form of cycling?
BMX trick riding
Velodrome racing
Downhill mountain biking
Giro/Tour/Vuelta

All brilliant/pure in their own way, just like the various alternative disciplines in climbing, & all have their devotees. Why should any be better/worse than the other? Nik

In reply to andyathome:


Who said anything about exclusivity? That would be balls, yes.

In reply to buxtoncoffeelover & Al Evans:

I think it gets referred to as the purest form of climbing because it's really just about the climbing and nothing else, you don't do it because you like exposure, or commitment, or as Al has said adventure, you do it for the enjoyment of climbing on rocks alone without any of those things.

Speaking of adventure Al, it might be all about that for you, but you could have an adventure doing a long list of things that aren't climbing, kayaking, caving, hiking to name a few. The only way you can rock climb is by climbing rocks and the way to do that which involves the least extraneous faff is bouldering.

In reply to Jon Stewart:


Yep, I'm usually in both camps on highballs